It's a common situation in Istanbul's organized industrial zones and standalone factory sites: a new facility needs to come online, or an existing line's capacity can no longer keep up with production growth. Both scenarios follow a similar path: an accurate capacity assessment, a complete project, and an application process coordinated closely with the utility. In this article, we walk through that process specifically for Istanbul.
Assessing Existing Capacity
The process starts with a capacity assessment of the grid point the facility is, or will be, connected to. In Istanbul's dense industrial areas, the utility's line and transformer capacity for that region is reviewed; if the requested power exceeds what the existing infrastructure can support, an additional transformer or line reinforcement investment comes into play.
Connection and System-Usage Agreements
Once capacity is confirmed as sufficient, the project documentation required for the connection and system-usage agreements is prepared. At this stage, the single-line diagram, power factor correction, and grounding designs are also submitted in line with the utility's technical specifications.
Power Capacity Increase Requests and Justification Reports
If an existing account's capacity falls short, a technical justification report based on the current production plan and a formal capacity increase request are prepared. A complete, consistent report directly improves the odds of the utility approving the request on the first submission.
When an MV Substation Is Required
Once the requested power crosses a certain threshold, the facility may need to build its own medium-voltage (MV) substation. This requires designing the switchgear, transformer, and protection & control equipment, running short-circuit and selectivity studies, and preparing documentation that meets the utility's technical specifications.
Field Implementation and Meter Connection
Once field implementation is complete in line with the approved project, utility officials inspect the facility; if compliant, the meter is connected and the facility is energized. Quickly resolving any minor non-conformities that surface up to this point prevents delays in commissioning.
Process Management with Soctek
At Soctek, we manage industrial facilities' LV/MV project and application processes across Istanbul end to end -- from capacity assessment and project preparation through to the utility application and meter connection. This lets our clients focus on production instead of the administrative side of the process.